Thursday

In the latest example that the Catholic Diocese of Erie is preparing for the release of a grand jury report, Erie Catholic Bishop Lawrence Persico met in Erie on Wednesday with Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, whose office is conducting the grand jury investigation.

The attorney general's office has yet to release the grand jury report, though the grand jury's term ended on April 30, suggesting that the release of the report could come soon.

In a statement released Wednesday night, Persico said he met with Shapiro to discuss the report, and Persico said he will accept its findings and will not block its release.

"I informed the Attorney General that on behalf of the Diocese of Erie, I have chosen to forgo any legal challenges to the grand jury process and its work," Persico said in the statement.

"I realize that the grand jury report will contain information that will be difficult for all of us to hear, but in order for us to focus on the future, we have to have a solid knowledge of the past.

"The grand jury investigation and its report will provide a voice for the victims. We must listen to that voice and learn from it as we move forward."

In a statement he released Wednesday night, Shapiro, referring to the abuse investigations, said: "Bishop Persico has ... not sought to block these matters from seeing public light, or attempted to keep victims' voices from finally being heard. I commend his actions."

The grand jury is investigating how the 13-county Diocese of Erie and five other Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania handled allegations of clergy sex abuse. Even before releasing its final report, the grand jury's work led to the arrest on May 8 of a Catholic Diocese of Erie priest, the Rev. David L. Poulson, on charges that he sexually abused two boys between 2002 and 2010.

Persico, who took over as the Erie bishop on October 2012, has updated the diocese's child-protection policies and released the names of 51 clergy and laypeople that the diocese said had been credibly accused of child abuse or other improper behavior with minors since the 1940s.

Persico had taken those steps as the Erie diocese and the others in Pennsylvania await the release of the grand jury report, which is expected to be explosive in its findings. Another grand jury in 2016 released a 147-page report that was highly critical of the Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown.

The grand jury in September 2016 issued a subpoena for the Erie diocese's clergy records. The diocese and its lawyers have cooperated with the grand jury, and Persico testified before it, though what he said has not been disclosed. The grand jury, based in Allegheny County, met in secret.

In his statement, Shapiro also said: "Since my Office filed charges against a predator priest for the sexual abuse of young boys in the Diocese of Erie, I have been encouraged by the Diocese's response under Bishop Lawrence Persico and counsel Mark Rush.

"The Diocese has accepted responsibility by acknowledging this abhorrent abuse, expressing sorrow and regret, and announcing steps to prevent these horrors from happening again.

"I will continue fighting for victims across Pennsylvania, without fear or favor.”

In the meeting with Shapiro, Persico said: " We discussed in detail the Diocese of Erie’s efforts to implement our revised Policy for the Protection of Children, and our experience so far. We also discussed my testimony before the grand jury, as well as the grand jury report. I found the meeting to be very productive."

"I remain committed to transparency," Persico also said. "The Diocese of Erie is doing all it can to ensure a healthy, safe environment for all of the children entrusted to its care. In that endeavor, we are fully aligned with law enforcement, and they have my full cooperation."

Ed Palattella can be reached at 870-1813 or by email. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNpalattella.

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